Maryland Education System: A Comprehensive Overview

Maryland's education system is a multifaceted structure encompassing public and private institutions, governed by state and local entities, and continually evolving to meet the needs of its diverse student population. From pre-kindergarten to higher education, Maryland strives to provide a rigorous and equitable education for all students, preparing them for college, career, and life.

Structure and Governance

In Maryland, public education is a shared responsibility between the State, county, and Baltimore City government. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is a division of the state government that oversees public school districts. There are 24 local school systems-one for each of Maryland's 23 counties plus one for Baltimore City. MSDE works collaboratively with the State Board of Education and stakeholders to ensure the promise of an excellent and equitable education for all students, especially those who have been historically underserved.

The State Board of Education sets educational standards, certifies teachers, partially funds school construction and instruction, and monitors school performance. The Board also oversees the State Department of Education. The first superintendent of schools for the State of Maryland was authorized in 1865 by the General Assembly of Maryland under the Maryland Constitution of 1864.

Funding

In Fiscal Year 2023, Federal, State, and local revenues combined to provide over $20 billion for Maryland public schools. Local government provided the largest amount ($8,919,155,601), followed by State government ($8,332,296,530), and the federal government ($2,089,055,931).

Maryland’s education funding formulas are rooted in the principle of per pupil funding with safeguards established that do not allow the funding per pupil to decrease year over year. The basic components of the funding formulas are: an established baseline per pupil funding level; an enrollment count basis; and an allocation of the funding share between the state and county.

School Attendance and Enrollment

Kindergarten is mandatory for children who are five years of age by September 1. State law also requires that children, ages 5 to 16, attend school. In September 2023, some 890,137 students (pre-kindergarten through high school) enrolled in 1,419 public schools while 138,752 students enrolled at 1,249 private schools.

The Maryland school year is a minimum of 180 days long. Schools are open for a ten-month period, from about Labor Day to mid-June. Opening and closing dates vary from county to county.

Graduation Requirements and Standards

Stringent requirements for graduation from high school were established in 1992. Credits required were increased from 20 to 21. General requirements were replaced with particular courses, or courses with specific content. Fewer credits were reserved for electives (nonrequired courses chosen by students). Moreover, since the graduating class of 2009, students have been required to take and pass the Maryland High School Assessment exams in algebra and data analysis, biology, and english in order to graduate. They also must perform 75 hours of volunteer community service approved by the State.

In June 2010, the State Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards, coordinated by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers. These standards define nationwide quality education. Since 2010, Maryland educators have developed a State curriculum in English language arts and mathematics that adheres to the Common Core Standards. In the 2013-2014 school year, the new Maryland Common Core State Curriculum was implemented statewide. To evaluate the Curriculum, new assessments have replaced some previous high school assessments.

In 2010, Maryland joined a consortium known as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), that developed a common set of tests to be used with the Common Core Standards. In the 2014-2015 school year, the Maryland School Assessments in reading and mathematics for 3rd through 8th grades was replaced by the PARCC assessments.

Special Public School Programs

Special Public School Programs cover pre-kindergarten for four-year olds; and career and technology education, including consumer and homemaking classes. Special education services for students with disabilities range from aid for part or all of a school day to specialized services for homebound students or those in separate facilities or hospitals.

Assessment and Performance

Maryland high school students are assessed in English language arts and math through the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program and in science through the Maryland Integrated Science Assessments. Results from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) for the 2024-2025 school year showed modest increases statewide in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics scores.

Maryland students ranked seventh in the nation on Advanced Placement (AP) Exams in 2023. The standard is based on the percentage of students taking the Advanced Placement exam, as well as the percentage of those students who scored a 3 or higher, out of 5.

Maryland high school graduation rates decreased slightly in 2023, when 85.8% of high school students received diplomas, down from 86.3% in 2022.

School Choice Options

Each spring, parents face one of the biggest decisions they can make for their child’s future: what school environment will their child spend about 1,000 hours in next year? Making that decision with confidence starts with knowing what options you have. You may have more school choices than you realize! Understanding these options can help you find a school where your child is excited to learn.

Most children (66.3% of all K-12 students) in Maryland attend traditional public schools. Traditional public schools are free to attend, open to all students, operated by school districts, and funded by taxpayers. Unfortunately, Maryland only offers public open enrollment in a few circumstances.

4% of all K-12 students attend a public charter school in Maryland. Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that have extra freedom to innovate with curriculum and learning methods. Each school has a charter which explains the school’s purpose and what specific community need it serves. That could be providing a Spanish immersion program or offering a rigorous STEAM curriculum. If there are more families seeking admittance to a charter school than there are seats, a lottery system is usually used to determine admittance.

Magnet schools are free public schools that allow kids to narrow in on a specific learning track, such as an International Baccalaureate program or the performing arts. At a magnet school, all the subjects are taught through the lenses of that specific track. Maryland has several magnet schools throughout the state; for instance, there are more than 30 magnet schools or programs in the Baltimore area.

Private schools are nonpublic schools that charge tuition. Maryland has a variety of private schools, both religious and non-religious. Tuition varies widely, but the average in the state is $16,286 for elementary schools and $20,457 for high schools.

Online learning offers a uniquely flexible learning environment. Unfortunately, Maryland does not currently have its own free, full-time online learning program available to students statewide. But, there are paid, full-time online school options available to families in all 50 states, Maryland included. Also worth mentioning is that students in select Maryland districts, like Baltimore City Public Schools and Anne Arundel County Public Schools, can access district-run online learning for free.

Microschools refers to students gathering together in a small group - with adult supervision - to learn, explore, and socialize. Microschools can take a variety of shapes and legal forms, from homeschoolers coming together at an enrichment center to a private school committed to small classrooms.

Blueprint for Maryland’s Future

In 2021, the Maryland State Legislature passed the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, legislation that codified the recommendations of the Maryland Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education (Kirwan Commission). The Blueprint will be implemented over the course of the next 10 years.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is organized into five distinct pillars: early childhood education, high-quality and diverse teachers and leaders, college and career readiness, resources to ensure all students are successful, and governance and accountability.

The Blueprint establishes a significant expansion of free full-day prekindergarten to low income families so that all children have the opportunity to begin kindergarten ready to learn. In order to support such expansion, the Blueprint will provide funding to both public and community-based early education programs that meet rigorous quality standards.

The Blueprint raises the status of the teaching profession and encourages professional development through a performance-based Career Ladder with salaries comparable to those in other professional fields with similar education requirements. Local educational agencies will work with their bargaining units to create a Career Ladder that recognizes effective teachers and school leaders and incentivizes them to stay in the classroom. Teacher salary progression and classroom performance will be linked to teacher achievement of National Board Certification (NBC).

Maryland public schools will use their internationally benchmarked curricula to facilitate most students achieving “College and Career-Ready” status by the end of 10th grade.

The Blueprint supports all students being successful in school by increasing funding based on the numbers of students with IEPs, who receive ESOL services, and/or who live in poverty. Schools that have high concentrations of poverty, measured by the number of students receiving Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) or through other factors, will be provided additional funding to transform into community schools offering wraparound services for students and their families. Additional funds are also available to support reading and literacy instruction in Grades K-3 through universal screening and small group tutoring or instruction.

The Blueprint establishes an accountability-oversight board that has the authority to ensure that the Commission’s recommendations are successfully implemented and produce the desired results.

Higher Education

The University System of Maryland (USM) is the state's public higher education system, comprising multiple universities and centers across the state. These institutions offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, contributing significantly to the state's intellectual and economic landscape.

USM Institutions:

University System of Maryland at Hagerstown (USMH): Offers more than 20 programs of study from five USM institutions.
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC): Offers open access with a global footprint and a unifying mission: To inspire hope, empower dreams, and transform lives…one student at a time.
Bowie State University (BSU): Provides emerging leaders with a strong foundation for success.
Towson University (TU): Is recognized as a top public university with a 150-year history of academic excellence and worldchanging research.
The University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP): Is USM’s flagship institution.
Frostburg State University (FSU): Is a comprehensive, student-centered institution dedicated to providing a quality education that leads to real-world success.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES): Is a historically Black, land-grant institution.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC): Is a leading public research university known for innovative teaching, relevant research across disciplines, and a supportive community that empowers and inspires inquisitive minds.
Salisbury University: Sets success in motion with a community and culture where every student is heard, seen, supported, celebrated and challenged. SU propels you forward to a better tomorrow in both your life and career.
Coppin State University: Founded in 1900, is a comprehensive historically black institution in an urban environment, dedicated to providing students with a high-quality education and transformational experiences at an affordable cost.
The University of Baltimore (UBalt): Is located in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon cultural district and offers career-focused education for aspiring and current professionals.
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES): Is a leading research and educational institution working to understand and manage the world’s resources.
The Universities at Shady Grove (USG): Offers nearly 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs from nine Maryland public universities on one convenient campus in Montgomery County.

Historical Context

The first superintendent of schools for the State of Maryland was authorized in 1865 by the General Assembly of Maryland under the Maryland Constitution of 1864. The new appointive office continued to be supplemented later with the creation of a State Board of Education to supervise the various levels of activity in public education.

Baltimore City's public schools were authorized by the state in 1826 and finally opened by the city in 1829 with first four schools (2 boys and 2 girls). In 1839, a high school opened for boys only, known first as "The High School"; it is the third oldest public high school in the United States and the oldest in the state. The high school later became known as the Male High School in 1844 with the opening then of two public high schools for girls, Eastern and Western.

A "Negro" / "Colored" (now African-American) elementary school was authorized in 1867, after a long controversy and public demand by the free black population of the, supplemented in 1883 by a "Colored High School" - second oldest in the nation next to Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. The "Colored High" was later renamed Frederick Douglass High School in 1925.

Rankings and Recognition

In 2024, WalletHub ranked Maryland as the third most educated state in the nation. Rankings are based on achievement gaps, educational attainment, and school quality. In 2023, WalletHub ranked Maryland eighth among states with the best school systems.

Six Maryland public schools were selected as National Blue Ribbon Schools in 2023.

In 2009, the Maryland state public schools system was ranked #1 in the nation overall as a result of three separate, independent studies conducted by publications Education Week, Newsweek, and MGT of America.

Challenges and Opportunities

The programmatic goals to advance Maryland’s public education as a world-class system will require substantial increases in costs over the next 10 years. Navigating these financial and logistical challenges while maintaining a focus on equity and excellence will be crucial for the continued success of Maryland's education system.

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